Mould equipment for pipeline section coating and methods for coating of pipeline sections with moulds

Abstract

A mold for coating a pipeline section with molten coating material from an injection molding machine, wherein the mold comprises a shell of impervious material reinforced by an exoskeleton of non-distensible material. An assembly for supporting a mold comprising a plurality of mutually separable shell bodies for coating a pipeline section, wherein the assembly comprises motorized opening and closing of the shell bodies in a straight line. An assembly for supporting a bent pipeline section wherein the assembly comprises a base and a pair of arms extending from the base, wherein each arm comprises a respective clamping collar for clamping a bent pipe section between the arms. A vehicle for induction heating a bent pipeline section, wherein the vehicle comprises: a helical induction coil; and wheels arranged to guide movement of both ends of the induction coil through a tubular inside face of a bent pipeline section.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A mold for coating a bent pipeline section with molten coating material from an injection molding machine, wherein the mold comprises a shell of impervious material reinforced by an exoskeleton of non-distensible material, wherein the exoskeleton is constructed from an array of sections arranged at various stages along the length of the mold and is at least partially embedded in the shell. 
     
     
       2. The mold of  claim 1 , wherein the exoskeleton is made from a plurality interlocking of parts. 
     
     
       3. The mold of  claim 2 , wherein parts of the exoskeleton are made of steel and are one of welded together or mechanically connected with connectors. 
     
     
       4. The mold of  claim 1 , wherein the exoskeleton comprises parts contoured to complement an inside face of the shell. 
     
     
       5. The mold of  claim 1 , wherein the mold comprises connection means for connecting the mold to an injection molding machine. 
     
     
       6. The mold of  claim 1 , wherein the shell is made from molded material. 
     
     
       7. The mold of  claim 6 , wherein the molded material is glass-fiber reinforced plastic. 
     
     
       8. The mold of  claim 7 , wherein the molded material is at least 8 mm thick. 
     
     
       9. The mold of  claim 1 , wherein the shell comprises a plurality of mutually separable shell bodies each associated with a part of the exoskeleton and wherein the shell bodies are mutually connectable in a sealed relationship with a pipeline section located in a cavity between the shell bodies. 
     
     
       10. A mold for coating a bent pipeline section with molten coating material from an injection molding machine, wherein the mold comprises a shell of impervious material reinforced by an exoskeleton of non-distensible material, the shell comprising shell bodies, wherein the exoskeleton is at least partially embedded in the shell, the exoskeleton constructed of sections arranged at various stages along the length of the pipeline mold,
 wherein the shell bodies are mutually connectable in a sealed relationship with the pipeline section located in a cavity between the shell bodies, and wherein a curved central axis of the mold follows a same curved path as the curved central axis of the bent pipeline section. 
 
     
     
       11. The mold of  claim 10 , wherein the exoskeleton is constructed from an array of profiled sections arranged at various stages along the length of the pipeline section mold, and wherein the profiled sections have inner hemi-cylindrical faces the axes of which are arranged tangential to a the curved central axis of the mold. 
     
     
       12. A mold for coating a bent pipeline section with molten coating material from an injection molding machine, wherein the mold comprises a shell of impervious material reinforced by an exoskeleton of non-distensible material, the shell comprising a plurality of mutually separable shell bodies, wherein the exoskeleton is constructed from profiled sections having inner hemi-cylindrical faces the axes of which are arranged tangential to the curved axis,
 wherein the shell bodies are separable at a common central plane in a straight line normal to a central plane and the shell bodies are opened and closed in a straight line. 
 
     
     
       13. The mold of  claim 12 , wherein the exoskeleton is constructed from an array of profiled sections arranged at various stages along the length of the pipeline section mold, and wherein the profiled sections have inner hemi-cylindrical faces the axes of which are arranged tangential to a the curved central axis of the mold. 
     
     
       14. A method of making a mold for coating a pipeline section with molten coating material from an injection molding machine, wherein the method comprises the steps of: a) forming a shell body of impervious material with an inside face having the shape of a pipeline section coating; and b) cladding the shell body with an exoskeleton of non-distensible material. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the forming step comprises the steps of: c) laying a shell body of deformable curable material over a pipeline section coating template; d) curing the shell body; and e) removing the template from the shell body. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the method comprises a step of assembling the exoskeleton from a plurality of parts. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the assembling step comprises interlocking parts of the exoskeleton. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the assembling step is preceded by a step of laser cutting parts of the exoskeleton from steel. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the assembling step comprises welding steel parts of the exoskeleton. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the forming step comprises laying a shell body over a pipeline section coating template, optionally wherein the shell body is glass-fiber reinforced plastic. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 20 , wherein the shell body of glass-fiber reinforced plastic is at least 8 mm thick. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the cladding step comprises at least partially embedding the exoskeleton in the shell body. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the method steps comprise making a mold having a plurality of mutually separable shell bodies, each shell body being clad by exoskeleton. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the method steps comprise making a mold with an inside face having the shape of a coating for an irregular pipeline section or a bent pipeline section.